Toy vehicle and terrain monitoring system used therein

ABSTRACT

A toy vehicle includes a chassis, at least one light guide plate, at least one sensor unit and a driving unit. The at least one light guide plate includes a first portion and a second portion and is embedded into the chassis by the first portion. The at least one sensor unit is attached on the second portion of the at least one light guide plate and includes an emitter for emitting light, and a detector for receiving the reflected light and sending a signal according to a propagation delay of a light emitted from the emitter and received by the detector. The driving unit is configured for controlling the motion of the toy vehicle according to the signal outputted from the at least one sensor unit.

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

The disclosure relates to a toy vehicle, and particularly, to a toy vehicle with a terrain monitoring system.

2. Description of Related Art

Level ground is a basic factor for a toy vehicle moving smoothly. If the terrain is rugged or any obstacles in the path of the toy vehicle, the toy vehicle may have to change course or even turn back from its intended course. However, conventional toy vehicles are not equipped with any terrain detector to detect obstacles and to avoid these obstacles.

Therefore, it is desirable to provide a toy vehicle with a terrain detecting system for detecting terrain and other obstacles in the path of the toy vehicle and automatically controlling the toy vehicle to avoid the obstacles.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an isometric, exploded view of a toy vehicle according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 2 is similar to FIG. 1, showing the toy vehicle inverted.

FIG. 3 is a partly assembled view of the toy vehicle of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is an assembled view of the toy vehicle of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Refering to FIGS. 1-2, a toy vehicle 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention, includes a chassis 110, at least one light guide plate 120, at least one sensor unit 130, at least two wheel assemblies 140, a roller 150, a cover 160, and a driving unit 170. The chassis 110 includes an upper surface 114 and a lower surface 112 on another side of the chassis 110 opposite to the upper surface 114. The light guide plate 120 includes a first portion and a second portion (not label) connected on the first portion. The first portion of the light gude plate 120 is embedded into the chassis 110 from the upper surface 114 and protrudes from the lower surface 112. The sensor unit 130 are attached on the second portion of the light guide plates 120 correspondingly. Each of the sensor units 130 includes an emitter 132 for emitting light at a certain wavelength, and a detector 134 capable to detect the light of the certain wavelength emitted by the emitter 132. The wheel assemblies 140 are symmetrically mounted on opposite edges of the chassis 110. The roller 150 is rotatably mounted on the chassis 110 unaligned with the axis connecting the wheel assemblies 140. The wheel assemblies 140 and the roller 150 cooperativly form a triangular configuration stably supporting the chassis 110 and other elements on the chassis 110. The cover 160 covers the chassis 110 for protecting the sensor unit 130. The driving unit 170 is mounted on the upper surface 114 and electronically connected to the sensor unit 130 for controlling the toy vehicle 100.

The chassis 110 further includes a flange 116 formed along the edge of the chassis 110 and protruding away from the upper surface 114. The chassis 110 defines one or more pairs of through holes 118 adjacent to the sensor unit 130 correspondingly. A screen 113 extends perpendicularly between each pair of the through holes 118 for reducing interference between the light and light. One or more back covers 115, corresponding to the through holes 118, extend from the upper surface 114 of the chassis 110 partially surrounding the through holes 118 correspondingly. The screen 113 is perpendicularly connected to the back cover 115. Each back cover 115 is higher than the corresponding screen 113 for forming a receiving space upon the screen 113 for receiving the sensor unit 130.

Refering to FIGS. 1-4, the light guide plates 120 are attached on the upper surface 114 of the chassis 110 and aligned with the through holes 118. The light guide plate 120 includes a connecting sheet 122 having a first surface 122 a and a second surface 122 b facing away from the first surface 122 a. A slot 122 c is defined in the middle of the connecting sheet 122 with an open end through an edge of the connecting sheet 122. The connecting sheet 122 snaps/holds the screen 113 by the slot 122 c to securely hold the connecting sheet 122 on the chassis 110. A first protrusion 124 and a second protrusion 126 serve as the first portion of the light guide plate 120 and are spacedly formed on the first surface 122 a and received in the through holes 118 of the chassis 110 correspondingly. Two light guide members 128 serve as the second portion of the light guide plate 120 and extend from the second surface 122 b of each connecting sheet 122, each of the light guide members 128 is cylindrical and is made of transparent material. The two light guide members 128 are separated by the screens 113 of the chassis 110 correspondingly. The two light guide members 128 of each light guide plate 120 are equal to or longer than the screen 113 in height relative to the upper surface 114 of the chassis 110 for stably supporting the sensor unit 130 on the end of the two light guide members 128. A reinforcing member 122 d is formed in the middle of each of the connecting sheets 122 adjacent to the slot 122 c for reinforcing the connecting sheet 122.

The sensor units 130 are attached on the top ends of the light guide members 128 of each of the light guide plates 120 and partially surrounded by the back covers 115 correspondingly. The emitter 132 and the detector 134 of each sensor unit 130 are aligned with the first protrusion 124 and the second protrusion 126 of each of the light guide plates 120 correspondingly. The emitter 132 of the sensor unit 130 is configured for probing the ambient environment by emitting light at intervals. The detector 134 of the sensor unit 130 receives the light at certain wavelength emitted by the sensor unit, and sends a signal to the driving unit 170 to control the toy vehicle 100 according to a propagation delay of a light at certain wavelength emitted from the emitter 132 and the certain wavelength light received by the detector 134.

Each wheel assemblies 140 includes a driving module 142 and a wheel 144 rotatably attached to the driving module 142. The driving modules 142 of the wheel assemblies 140 are symmetrically mounted on the upper surface 114 of the chassis 110. The wheels 144 extend out of the lower surface 112 of the chassis 110 by a predetermined distance.

The chassis 110, light guide plates 120 and sensor units 130 cooperately form a terrain monitoring system (not label) which can be used in any vehicles such as automobiles, trucks and so on to detect terrain and other obstacles and automatically control the moving device to avoid the obstacles.

In use, the emitter 132 of the detector 130 emits light, and the light travels through the light guide plate 120 away from the toy vehicle 100 into the ambient environment until being reflected. The light may come from the terrain or other obstacles (not shown). Then the detector 134 computes the propagation delay of the light emitted from the emitter 132 and received by the detector 134. When the propagation delay is determined to exceed a predetermined value, a continue signal is sent by the detector 134 of the sensor unit 130 to the driving unit 170 to control the toy vehicle 100 to continue on the current path. When the propagation delay is below the predetermined value, the sensor unit 130 will send an avoid signal to the driving unit 170 to control the toy vehicle 100 to steer away from the current path.

Understandably, if a toy vehicle 100 employes two wheel assemblies 140 which are arranged in a form capable of stably supporting the chassis 110 and other elements of the toy vehcile 100, the roller 150 can be canceled.

It is believed that the present embodiments and their advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the examples hereinbefore described merely being preferred or exemplary embodiments of the disclosure. 

1. A toy vehicle comprising: a chassis comprising an upper surface and a lower surface opposite to the upper surface; at least one light guide plate comprising a first portion embedded into the chassis from the upper surface and projecting from the lower suface, and a second portion connected to the first portion; at least one sensor unit attached to the second portion of the light guide plate, the at least one sensor unit comprising an emitter for emitting light at certain wavelength and a detector for receiving the certain wavelength light emitted by the emitter and sending a signal according to a propagation delay of a light of certain wavelength emitted from the emitter and received by the detector; and a driving unit mounted on the chassis and electrically connected to the at least one sensor unit, the driving unit being configured for controlling the toy vehicle according to the signals outputted from the detector of the at least one sensor unit.
 2. The toy vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the detector of the at least one sensor unit sends an avoid signal to the driving unit when determines the propagation delay of the light below a predetermined value.
 3. The toy vehicle as claimed in claim 2, wherein the chassis further comprises a flange formed along the edge of the chassis, and defines at least one pair of through holes thereon adjacent to the at least one sensor unit correspondingly; and the first portion of the at least one light guide plate is embedded into the pair of through holes.
 4. The toy vehicle as claimed in claim 3, wherein the chassis further comprises a screen extending perpendicularly between the pair of the through holes.
 5. The toy vehicle as claimed in claim 4, wherein the chassis further comprises at least one back cover extending from the upper surface and surrounding the through holes correspondingly.
 6. The toy vehicle as claimed in claim 5, wherein the at least one back cover is higher than the screen to form a receiving space between the screen and the at least one back cover; and the at least one sensor unit is received in the receiving space.
 7. The toy vehicle as claimed in claim 5, wherein the at least one light guide plate comprises a connecting sheet having a first surface, a second surface facing away from the first surface, and a slot defined in the middle of the connecting sheet with an open end through an edge of the connecting sheet.
 8. The toy vehicle as claimed in claim 7, wherein the first portion of the at least one light guide plate comprises a first protrusion and a second protrusion which are spacedly formed on the first surface and received in the pair of through holes of the chassis.
 9. The toy vehicle as claimed in claim 8, wherein the second portion of the at least one light guide plate comprises two light guide members extending on the second surfae of the connecting sheet and separated by the screen.
 10. The toy vehicle as claimed in claim 9, wherein the two light guide members are longer than or equal to the screen in height relative to the upper surface of the chassis.
 11. The toy vehicle as claimed in claim 7, wherein the at least one light guide plate further comprises a reinforcing block formed on the middle of the connecting sheet adjacent to the slot.
 12. The toy vehicle as claimed in claim 10, wherein the at least one sensor unit is attached on the top ends of the light guide members of the at least one light guide plate and surrounded by the back cover.
 13. The toy vehicle as claimed in claim 12, wherein the emitter and the detector of each sensor unit are aligned with the first protrusion and the second protrusion of the at least one light guide plate correspondingly.
 14. The toy vehicle as claimed in claim 1, further comprising two wheel assemblies symmetrically mounted on two opposite edges of the chassis and controlled by the driving unit.
 15. The toy vehicle as claimed in claim 14, further comprising a roller being rotatably mounted on the chassis and positioned away from the axis connecting the wheel assemblies.
 16. The toy vehicle as claimed in claim 15, further comprising a cover covering the chassis and the at least one sensor unit.
 17. A terraim monitoring system comprising: a chassis comprising an upper surface and a lower surface opposite to the upper surface; at least one light guide plate comprising a first portion embedded into the chassis from the upper surface and projecting from the lower suface, and a second portion connected to the first portion; and at least one sensor unit attached to the second portion of the at least one light guide plate, the at least one sensor unit comprising an emitter for emitting light at certain wavelength and a detector for receiving the certain wavelength light emitted by the emitter and outputting a signal according to a propagation delay of a light of certain wavelength emitted from the emitter and received by the detector.
 18. The terraim monitoring system as claimed in claim 17, further comprising at least two wheels assemblies symmetrically mountd on two opposite edges of the chassis.
 19. The terraim monitoring system as claimed in claim 17, wherein the detector of the at least one sensor unit outputs an avoid signal when determines the propagation delay of the light below a predetermined value. 